Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1. Production of alcohol in France since 1994 broken down according to its origin,
sugar beets, cereals - mostly wheat -, wine and petroleum products. Source: CGB.
As a result of high prices and subsidizes in 2012, producers had a revenue of 78 e per
tonne of beet from ethanol sale (assuming a yield of 100 l of ethanol per tonne of beet).
By comparison revenue from white sugar without subsidize amounted to 64 e, as average
price for one tonne of refined sugar was 400 e (assuming a yield of 160 kg of sugar per
tonne of beet).
On the other hand, their energy efficiency and their contribution to reduce the emissions
are disputed (see the presentation of these discussions by the agro-ethanol promoters them-
selves [3, 4]). Furthermore, they require agriculture surface to the detriment of pastures,
forests or cultures eligible for food. Conversion of pastures and forests into crop surface
entails the release of part of their carbon stored in form of humus. Promoters of agro-
ethanol argue that they have been able to rise agriculture yields to counteract the effect of
the new usage.
These critics have recently dampened the support granted by public administrations.
Thus, in France, they limit the amount of ethanol eligible to the financial bonus and have
reduced this bonus. Agro-ethanol producers may even lost it after 2015 [3].
3.
Production Statistics on Sugar Beet, Sugar and Ethanol
Data are given for the world and some important producing countries in 2012, the latest year
for which data are most reliable and complete. Recent trend until 2012 is also indicated.
Different sources exist, international organizations like the Food and Agriculture Or-
ganization of the United Nations FAO, associations of producers like the Confédération
Générale des planteurs de Betteraves CGB, services providers such as F.O. Licht and, of
course, national agriculture departments. Data from one to another can show discrepancies.
A discrepancy may result from error reporting, or it may indicate that apparently similar
data are actually different, as it is the case for harvested quantities of beets. We will clarify
